Pudding's Future
by Nerdz-Will-Rule-The-World
Summary: "My friends forgot today was my birthday. And they all are to concerned with themselves to care," she told him helplessly. "I can't help but feel somewhat neglected, and I just felt that I couldn't bear it any longer." PxT later... won't know it though..
1. Happy Birthday Pudding!

Okay not my style I know... I would be posting the story for my English project but I'm in the middle of revising it... Yeah thats it. Yeah. So I had another story just laying about and decided to post the first Chappie of it... Like I said it's not my best and I don't really think I captured Puddings... Puddingness? Oh and this is after the battle so shes 17ish... Don't Blame me... Oh I almost forgot the disclaimer...

**NERDZ does not own Tokyo Mew Mew (although I would mind owning it...) or any of the characters. :'( So sad but Oh well.**

-MySadExcuse4ALine-MySadExcuse4ALine-MySadExcuse4ALine-MySadExcuse4ALine-MySadEx

Chapter 1

It was December 30, and Tokyo was frigid. The smoke and fog of the city sat heavy and cold over the Café. The unforgiving weather was making everyone go crazy, and Pudding had been yelled at! She rarely was yelled at by the other Mews. 'The costumers need to be served faster!', 'You haven't ordered for table two yet!', and she almost cut off her finger while closing the register. Usually she liked working the register,but today it was her birthday and either the other Mews forgot or didn't care. She had told them before but everybody is really busy. _I can't go home until I'm done with my shift._ And she already had her break for the day...So now she was stuck working the counter and all the other Mews were on their break or working on serving the tables. That left her time to think. She reflected on how long sh e had been working at the Café...  
_I've been slaving at this shop for seven years now_,Pudding thought to herself as she opened the register, _and I still haven't advanced beyond managing the register._  
When she closed it the register, the door opened and in walked a boy about. But she didn't notice,her eyes had begun to tear a little bit due to her friends selfishness. _A warrior never cries. I should know-_  
"Are you alright?" a voice asked from above, and Pudding's head snapped up. A young man was leaning over the counter, looking at her. He was good-looking, with tousled brown hair and hazel eyes, just now looking rather concerned. Pudding thought she recognized him but didn't remember from where. He was warmly dressed in a long coat, and she couldn't help glancing at his eyes. They were fake looking. Almost like he was wearing color contacts. She noted that he didn't look rich, exactly, but he wasn't poor.  
_Like I am,_Pudding thought wretchedly. Usually, she would never allow such a thought to enter her mind, but she was too miserable to care today.  
Her pride still held, though. "I'm fine, thank you," she answered, ducking her head again and wiping her cheeks with her shoulders.  
"Then why are you crying?" he asked gently.  
She looked up at him again. The look on his face was one of genuine concern; she hadn't seen such an expression in the eyes of a stranger for some time, and her proud, frozen heard melted a bit.  
"My friends forgot today was my birthday. And they all are to concerned with themselves to care," she told him helplessly. "I can't help but feel somewhat neglected, and I just felt that I couldn't bear it any longer."  
"Come around over here," he said. Pudding hesitated, but the young man teased, "I don't bite." And she couldn't help but notice when he smiled that a fang popped out. _Just like- No Pudding. Don't even go there again.  
_Pudding managed a small smile and walked around the desk. He wiped away a few of her tears and took her hand and said that her friends might have forgotten and just needed a reminder. Somehow, it didn't seem quite proper, being so close to a total stranger.  
The young man must have seen her expression, because he gave a little laugh. "Here we're talking, and we haven't been introduced," he said. "My name's... Henry-chan."  
"Pudding Fon," she replied. She felt better already.  
"So you work here?" he asked, looking at the crowed tables.  
"Yes,"Pudding replied resignedly.  
"They surely pay you good wages," he said, glancing at her uniform. Pudding looked at her uniform. "Actually this was given to me as part of working here." she said.

"That was terribly put." he said looking down.  
"It's alright," Pudding said. "Actually, they don't pay me much at all. I work here for free food. For my siblings. They can eat all the free cakes and pastries they want!."  
Henry looked puzzled, but didn't to pry. "You feeling better?"  
"Yes," she answered gratefully.  
"Here," he said, pulling some money out. "I'll buy you a cake to celebrate your birthday."  
"Oh, no. It's very generous of you, but I couldn't eat it. It would be for you to eat not me."  
"Actually, it's because you seem to be having a bad day; besides I can buy myself a cake and you one." Henry replied, pressing the money in her hand and picked out a cake for her to eat. "I'm just afraid that you might not like the cake I pick." He stood pondering when Pudding said "Oh I like all the cakes here!" He looked shocked but ordered to cakes and sat down at an empty table. When Pudding placed the order she couldn't help but feel that she should be angry at him, her pride should be wounded, but somehow it wasn't. And before long the cakes where done and she handed them to him. And before she could say another word he took one of the cakes and handed it to her and kept the cake he bought for himself and walked to the door.

"Happy birthday, Miss Fon," he said cordially and walked away.  
Pudding stared after him, a great mix of emotions churning in her chest. She shook her head in bewilderment as he was lost in Tokyo's great streets. Then she looked down at the cake in her hand. With a little laugh, she brought it to her mouth and began eating it.

** Happy Birthday Pudding. **


	2. Happy New Year?

Chapter 2

Henry-Chan kept creeping into Pudding's mind the next morning. His face was before her as she climbed the stairs to her siblings room. Keiichiro had decided to send her to the market instead of Ichigo, so she had to change into her street clothes.  
_It doesn't' really matter what I wear to the market. People will stare at me anyway._ She often thought like that since Tartuo left._ I look equally shabby in all my clothes._ Slipping her coat on, her thoughts, once again, went to Henry-Chan. She imagined him holding her hands, giving her more attention than her friends did now day... And she couldn't help mentally adding, And he's a handsome boy, as well.  
She was shocked at herself. Henry-Chan is a well-off charitably- minded gentleman, she told herself emphatically. You're a silly goose. Put him out of your mind. Her thoughts then turned to the weather. The weather wasn't quite as cold as it had been the day before. On returning, the bags were very heavy, but not as heavy as they had been for her when she first began working for Café Mew Mew.

It had been too many years. She was glad that her living arrangements, school status, and work load hadn't completely broken her. She certainly hadn't caused that much trouble since she began working. But sometimes that she was a world famous actress/gymnast, like she used to. She hadn't done a show in awhile now.. She still held up her head though and acted like she was.  
A footstep close beside her broke her reverie. "Good morning, Miss Fon," Henry-Chan said politely, with a sparkle in his eyes. "How do you do this cold December day?"  
Pudding laughed. "Well, thank you. And yourself?"  
"In the bloom of health," Henry-Chan answered. "May I carry your bags?"  
Pudding almost caviled, but the mischievous part of her brain thought, Well, why not. Any gentleman would offer to carry a lady's bags. So she handed him the bags with a gentle,

"Thank you. I didn't think that I would be seeing you again Henry-Chan"  
"I don't know whether to take that as an insult or not."  
"Oh, ummm I didn't mean it th-,"  
"It's okay I know what you were meaning." Henry-Chan said with a playful smile on his face. Again the little fang reminded her of Tartuo.  
"I just was getting back from exploring the town. I don't get to visit often. I live in a different city so it's a very big deal to come to Tokyo."  
"Really? Well Tokyo is a really fun place! The parks and the food. And all the different people!"  
"Yeah I can tell."  
"Hey! If your just visiting then where are you staying?"  
"With my... uncle."  
"Oh. Really! That's exciting!"  
"He just returned from China he was there for several years."  
"Oh,CHINA! Why did he go there?"  
"He was studying something I'm not quite sure..."  
"Oh,well my father is in China. He is training to become a Kung Fu master."  
"That's interesting. What about you mother..."  
"She died awhile ago." Henry-Chan-Chan looked like he was going to ask something else but he looked like he changed his mind. "She died when I was six."  
"I'm sorry."  
"It's alright; it was a long time ago," she lied.  
"You're not that old."  
Pudding smiled. "If you want to know, I'm seventeen."  
"Oh, I would never have asked," Henry-Chan said, acting shocked. "I'm eighteen."  
Pudding noticed reluctantly that they were outside the Cafe already. She took back the bags. Henry-Chan tipped his hat again. "Happy New Year!"  
"Happy New Year," she answered, and disappeared down to the Cafe.  
Keiichiro was taking a map when Pudding stepped in the door. Lettuce helped her unpack the bags. Pudding realized after a minute that Lettuce was looking at her strangely.  
"What is it?"  
"Oh Pudding, you're always so solemn-lookin. And now... your face is just shining!"

Three days later, Ryou sent Pudding back to the market. As much as Pudding hated going to the market, she went again.  
But this time, she met with Henry-Chan on the way, and he accompanied her on her errand. Pudding felt more conspicuous than ever; she was sure that the people around her were wondering what Henry-Chan with doing talking with such a strange girl. But she used the opportunity to pretend harder than ever that she was a rich girl in disguise, and that kept her cheerful.  
Henry-Chan kept the conversation light until they were out of the more populated area. He carried her bags again.  
"Aren't these often too heavy for you?" he asked.  
"I'm becoming used to them."  
"How long have you worked for the Cafe?"  
"Six?" he exclaimed. "That's a very long time."  
"It has hasn't it..." Pudding said, resignedly. "You see, my father being out of the country left me and my siblings alone so I had to become a street preformer. That didn't bring in much money but a girl named Ichigo found me and offered me a job!And of course I took it" She was surprised at herself. Why had she poured out her whole sordid life story to a stranger?  
But Henry-Chan didn't look irritated or pitying. He looked angry. "Slaving for six years for a man that is to ashamed to come home and face his own family!"

Pudding shook her head. " Oh no he's not ashamed of us... Sometimes he sends money to us. Besides if I told him to come home then he would get mad."  
"Oh and why don't you let him get mad! You don't raise a household when you are eleven!"  
"But you don't understand! I volunteered so dad could go!"  
"Why? Why would you do that!" Henry-Chan looked troubled.

"Because I promised my mom."  
Henry-Chan shook his head. "There must be some way out of your difficulties, if only we could find it."  
Pudding could think of one, but she wasn't about to dwell on it.  
At the the walk way of the Cafe, Henry-Chan handed her her bags back. Pudding smiled up at him. He smiled back; there was no condescension in his expression, only pleasure at having met with her. His hazel eyes sparkled. Pudding felt something jump in her throat, and a lovely warm feeling spread over her that had nothing to do with the weather. "Good day, Miss Fon," Henry-Chan said, and walked away.

Pudding met up with Henry-Chan many times over the next week. He always greeted her with a polite, "Good morning, Miss Fon." Pudding saw him so often on her way back from errands that she almost suspected him of watching the Cafe for her to come out!. Although she told fantastic stories and lived half in a fantasy world, Pudding was no second- rate thinker. Her head was in the clouds, but her feet were firmly on the ground. And yet, she decided, against all odds, she had fallen in love in a single week. And if she were right, Henry-Chan wasn't indifferent toward her, either. She looked forward immensely to her "chance" meetings with him. She began to forget her own poor appearance when he accompanied her to the shops. But the situation was to change abruptly.


End file.
